Day 120: To Dance on a Woman’s Grave

Saturday, January 2

Well, this was quite a day, but it was all in a short spurt. The Taj was very interesting and an inspiring sight to see. However, when we left for what should have been a 5 hour drive, the fog was so thick that visibility was only a few meters in front of us…so it took more like 7 hours to get there.

However, once there I understand why this place is one of the 7 wonders of the world! It is beautiful and grand. I’d always thought it was a palace, which in a sense it is. The place was built by one of the last emperors of India when his favorite wife (note favorite, not only) passed away giving birth to their 14th child! The building is made of pure white marble and precious stones and took 30 years to complete, all being done by hand!

Friends, they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore!

After the structure was completed, the emperor had the hands of all the craftsmen cut off, so that they could never build something more magnificent! Now that is a bad deal, in my opinion.
Inside the Taj itself, there is no artificial light. Everything comes from natural light outside…so if you go at night, don’t expect to see much. In the corners have these giant areas that are cut out, almost like dinning rooms. People in line where getting up there to take pictures and Elizabeth wanted me to get up there and dance with her.

Apparently, I am no longer in the running for husband of the year, because I refused! The reasons are these: the place is a tomb, not exactly somewhere I want to be celebrating. Secondly, there were a lot of armed guards, and I am a larger (even larger compared to these small people) white American. I could just envision being thrown in prison for defiling a historical landmark. Although, now that I think about it, there was one corner where the natives where dropping their pants and leaving their mark on the site, so maybe a little dancing wouldn’t have been so bad!

Afterwards we did a little shopping, which is much different than home, and rode our camel wagon back to the car for our long drive home.

With Love,

Devin, on behalf of Eli
Countdown to Devin leaving: 5 days…